Walt Disney World vacations have always gone more smoothly for those who were willing to plan well in advance. With the advent of Magic Bands, FastPass Plus, and My Disney Experience, careful planning that borders on obsessive is pretty much required for those who hope to make the most of a Disney vacation. Walk-up day visitors are at a decided disadvantage.
At Universal Orlando, however, everything is different. Over-planning a Universal Orlando vacation is silly at best and, at worst, could actually have a negative impact on your experience. Here are 5 reasons NOT to over-plan your next trip to Universal Orlando.
1. Express passes
If you are staying in an official Universal Orlando deluxe hotel (though not the moderately-priced Cabana Bay), you get Universal Express Unlimited passes for everyone in the room, valid for your entire length of stay. These passes allow you to experience virtually all the major attractions (though not the Harry Potter rides) as many times as you like each day using the Express entrance, which is similar to Disney’s FastPass queues.
If you are staying somewhere else, both regular Universal Express and Universal Express Unlimited are available for purchase. The difference is that regular Express is valid for only one trip through each attraction per day. You can buy either type of pass for one park or both parks on a daily basis.
Express passes are not always necessary, especially during slower times of the year. But if you are willing to pay to play, being able to visit whatever attractions you want, whenever you want, as many times as you want sure beats the heck out of the FastPass Plus fiasco!
2. Walking distances
If you have been to Walt Disney World, you are well aware of just how far it is from one place to the next. Park hopping, grabbing dinner at a resort other than your own, or heading to Downtown Disney for the evening requires a great deal of coordination, especially if you plan to use the Disney transportation system. Those in the know allow two hours to get to a prime dining reservation, just in case anything goes wrong.
At Universal Orlando, everything is literally within walking distance from everything else. Want to take a dinner break at Bubba Gump’s before spending the evening in Diagon Alley? Interested in an afternoon nap at your Hard Rock Hotel room? Taking in Islands of Adventure before Halloween Horror Nights? It’s incredibly easy to get around in just a few minutes using nothing but your own two feet. Free water taxis and shuttle buses are available if you get tired, but it’s much easier to head out without a plan when you risk losing only minutes rather than hours.
3. Restaurant walkups
Although it’s always a smart idea to book a table (a week or so in advance) for a must-do dinner, especially on a major holiday, it is usually easy enough to get into virtually any Universal Orlando restaurant, including those at CityWalk, without a reservation. We have never waited more than 20 minutes for a table, and have always had access to the bar while we wait. Who the heck knows where or what they will want to eat six months from now? On a Universal Orlando vacation, who cares? By all means, read the menus online to get some ideas, but wait until you’re actually there to see what you’re in the mood for.
4. Thrilling discoveries
Both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are packed with thrilling hidden gems just waiting to be uncovered. When you’re walking through the parks with your face buried in your smartphone, though, trying to figure out what happened to the ride reservations you booked two months ago, it is easy to miss out on the details. At Universal, there is enough time in the day to look around and take in all that the parks have to offer.
Check out the windows in Diagon Alley, read the giant comic strips in Toon Lagoon, and explore the trails of Jurassic Park. Hidden gems abound, and the thrill of discovery is so much more apparent when you aren’t rushing to get to the next thing.
5. Relaxed pace
Life just seems to move at a more relaxed pace at Universal Orlando. Without advance ride reservations, meals booked six months in advance, and the hustle and bustle of determined guests plowing through with binders full of printouts, the parks have a relaxed, almost old-timey feel. Take the time to breathe and follow your heart rather than a fixed schedule, and you can slide right into a completely relaxed vacation mode.
Of course, we all have certain highlights that we really want to experience. By all means, make a short list of true must-dos and check it periodically to make sure you get everything in. Beyond that, however, slow down and enjoy yourself. Taking an evening to enjoy a mint julep or two at Pat O’Brien’s won’t throw your entire schedule out of whack.
